men's hoops: oru clinches share of conference title.

Thanks to a win over UMKC and an IUPUI loss at Oakland last night, Oral Roberts all but clinched the top seed in the Summit League last night.

The Golden Eagles put away UMKC 74-62 at Mabee Center last night for their 15th conference win of the season to clinch their fourth consecutive share of the conference title.

IUPUI fell two losses behind ORU as Oakland smoked the Jags 84-69 at the O'Rena.

IUPUI can fall no further than the #2 seed, but Oakland put itself in the driver's seat for the #3 seed. IPFW maintained a tie with Oakland, beating Western Illinois 85-62.

Oh yeah, Southern Utah beat Centenary, 98-94.

With three more conference games remaining, IPFW and OU are jockeying for position. It's really the only race left worth watching, as ORU and IUPUI have already determined their seedings.

The current seedings:
1. Oral Roberts — 15-1 / 20-6
2. IUPUI — 13-3 / 21-6
3. Oakland — 9-6 / 14-12
4. IPFW — 9-6 — 12-14
5. Western Illinois — 7-9 / 12-15
6. Southern Utah — 7-9 / 9-18
7. UMKC — 4-11 / 9-19
8. Centenary — 3-12 / 9-18

Friday Night Basketball
NDSU @ SDSU, 7 p.m.

Saturday men's hoops action:
IUPUI @ IPFW, 4 p.m.
UMKC @ Centenary, 5:30 p.m.
Western Illinois @ Oakland, 6 p.m.
Creighton @ Oral Roberts, TBA
Western Illinois @ Oakland, 7 p.m.

golden grizzlies host iupui on fox sports tonight.

Grizzlies Host IUPUI in Regionally Televised Game

ROCHESTER, Mich. - The Oakland University men's basketball team (13-12, 8-6 Summit) will host IUPUI (21-5, 13-2 Summit) this Thursday night at 7:38 p.m. in the Athletics Center O'Rena. The game will be regionally televised on Fox Sports Net, with Mario Impemba and Rick Mahorn on the call.

The game will also air on OU's flagship station WDTW (1310 AM), and the student radio station WXOU (88.3 FM).

The Golden Grizzlies lead the overall series with the Jaguars, 16-11, and hold a 10-3 advantage at home. OU is 7-3 inside the O’Rena against IUPUI.

Other conference action tonight:
Southern Utah @ Centenary, 7 p.m.
UMKC @ Oral Roberts, 7:05 p.m.
Western Illinois @ IPFW, 7 p.m.

oru back on winning track.

Somehow, I completely spaced tonight's conference game between ORU and Southern Utah in Tulsa. I honestly had no clue it was going on tonight. It's not everyday we've got Tuesday night action on the men's side in the Summit League. As it were, the outcome was no shock. ORU won 71-62.

The win gives the Golden Eagles a full game lead over IUPUI in the conference standings. The Thunderbirds are now 6-9 in league play. Their best-case scenario is...oh, who the hell knows. I don't have time to get a flow chart and slide rule out to figure out the shoulda, coulda, woulda tie-breakers that may or may not occur. Let's wait until Friday morning to speculate.

Men’s Standings (thru Tuesday, 19 Feb 08)
1. Oral Roberts — 14-1 / 19-6
2. IUPUI — 13-2 / 21-5
3. Oakland — 8-6 / 13-12
3. IPFW — 8-6 — 11-14
5. North Dakota State — 7-8 / 13-13
5. Western Illinois — 7-8 / 12-14
7. Southern Utah — 6-9 / 8-18
8. UMKC — 4-10 / 9-18
8. Centenary — 3-11 / 9-17
10. South Dakota State — 3-12 / 8-18

Thursday Night Action
IUPUI @ Oakland, 7:30 (on FSN)
Southern Utah @ Centenary, 7 p.m.
UMKC @ Oral Roberts, 7:05 p.m.
Western Illinois @ IPFW, 7 p.m.

iupui's jernisha cann: 1,000-point club last night; player of the week today.

IUPUI's Jernisha Cann got what she deserved today: Summit League Player of the Week Honors:

Cann earns her third Player of the Week award this season after averaging a double-double in two Jaguar victories last week over Oral Roberts (69-66) and Centenary (97-45). She averaged 18.5 points, 14.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game, while shooting 58 percent (15-of-26). Against Centenary, Cann recorded her 1,000 career point to become the 18th player in IUPUI history to reach that benchmark. Her 17 rebounds against the Golden Eagles were the second-highest single-game performance in the league this season, and she now has 11 double-doubles, including three straight.

Who's got the inside track on Player of the Year? Good question. Lisa Bue might have a shot, despite NDSU being a lame duck all season. Cann certainly has a shot. We'll know more in a couple weeks.

Previous POTW winners
Feb. 12 - Lisa Bue, NDSU
Feb. 5 - Jerri Penley, NDSU
Jan. 29 - Johnna Lewis-Carlisle, IPFW
Jan. 22 - Jernisha Cann, IUPUI
Jan. 15 - Katy Davenport, WIU
Jan. 8 - Lisa Bue, NDSU & Gina Hugelier, WIU
Jan. 1 - Lisa Bue, NDSU
Dec. 25 - Jessica Pike, OU
Dec. 18 - Anne Westwood, SUU
Dec. 11 - Jenny Hardin, ORU
Dec. 4 - Chazny Morris, UMKC
Nov. 27 - Jernisha Cann, IUPUI
Nov. 20 - Kristin Rotert, SDSU
Nov. 13 - Jessica Pike, OU

today's vocabulary lesson.

Get out your No. 2 lead pencils, boys and girls. It’s time for a little vocabulary lesson! The word of the day is:

MEDIA — / MEE dee uh / n. pl.
The means of communications, as radio and television, newspapers, magazines, etc., that reach very large numbers of people.

Used in a sentence, one might say, “Are the MEDIA going to be at tonight’s game?”

I’m sure you also know MEDIA is also an adjective, such as a “MEDIA timeout” taken at the first dead ball of the first half with less than 16 minutes remaining in the game. It describes the type of timeout (as opposed to a “called” timeout or “official’s” timeout).

Yes, you’re very smart, class. You knew that. But here’s something you may not know. MEDIA also can be used as an adverb. Yes, it can!

An example might be….oh, I don’t know…say you ask me a question, such as: “Hey, Summit Blogger, are you attending the Summit League Conference Championship Tournament in Tulsa this year?”

I respond, “I’m looking into it.”

You come back with, “so that means you’re AREN’T attending?”

And I say, “I just said I’m looking into it! Don’t try and MEDIA me, class!!!!!”

See? MEDIA as an adverb describes the act of asking leading questions to elicit an answer that is direct, rather than evasive.

I report. You decide. :-)

women's hoops update: playoff picture still a little fuzzy.

Very quickly, here's the women's hoops re-cap from last night:
NDSU-94, UMKC-81
IUPUI-97, CENT-45
SDSU-82, SUU-36
WIU-54, ORU-51

With those results, here are the latest seedings for the conference tournament:
1. WIU (11-4)
2. IUPUI (9-6)
3. OAK (8-6)
3. ORU (8-6)
5. IPFW (7-7)
6. SUU (4-10)
7. UMKC (2-12)
8. CENT (0-13)

Too bad for South Dakota State (13-2) and North Dakota State (10-5). They'd be #1 and #3.

IUPUI's Jernisha Cann gets my vote as POTW, based on reaching the 1,000-point mark for her career last night. IUPUI's Julia Whitted also earns a look...especially since she got hosed a week or so ago.

lucky 13.

Looks like I was soft-pedaling my optimism for IUPUI in the latest Mid Major Top 25. The Jags climbed eight spots to #13 in the latest poll on the strength of two conference wins. ORU held steady at #19 in the poll.

attention, iupui students: midmajority.com would like to have a word with you.

In case you missed it, MidMajority.com called last Saturday's IUPUI-ORU game its Game! Of! The! Night! In its regular Boubacar wrap-up, Mid-Majority also had this to say about the game:

...despite the fact that the Jaguars are still in second place with a 13-2 record, the fans stormed the floor. We still have mixed feelings about in-season bum rushes (I got kicked in the head when Loyola Marymount beat Gonzaga last year)... because come on, IUPUI is still in second place.

I can't say I totally disagree with the sentiment, but this game had plenty of significance for IUPUI. As the Tulsa TV play-by-play man said, (I'm paraphrasing) ORU wanted to win the game, but IUPUI needed to win the game.

Nevertheless, the point is somewhat valid. Don't cheapen what it means to storm the court after a team wins its conference tournament title, earning the Golden Ticket to the Big Dance™.

And oh yeah...if you're over the age of 23 and/or have not seen the inside of a college classroom in more than two years, YOU DO NOT BELONG ON THE COURT! All too often I see one or two dudes who have beer bellies, mustaches or gray hair running about on the court amidst the students like they belong. This just in: you do not belong!

These clowns are tantamount to the guys who still go to high school parties when they're in college...or go to college parties after they hit the big 3-0. At some point, you just have to accept that you're too old to partake in the court-storming and let the kids have their fun.

ehambe named player of the week.

The League just made it official:

ORU's Ehambe Named Player of the Week
Ehambe earns Player of the Week honors after averaging 29.5 points on 70 percent shooting last week. He scored a career-high 40 points at Western Illinois, setting additional career highs in field goals (12), three-point field goals (9) and free throws (7). He followed that up with 19 points at IUPUI. Ehambe became the first ORU player since Reggie Borges in 2002 to score 40 points in a game, and just the sixth player in ORU history to do so. Read more.

Not terribly surprising, despite going 1-1 for the week. Carson's game for IPFW was good, but it was just one game. And oh yeah...Ehambe dropped 40 points in one game. That just doesn't happen too often.

will iupui move up?

I'll be curious to see the latest Mid-Major Top 25 Poll later this afternoon. If you recall, ORU was #19 and IUPUI was #21 heading into the weekend. Given the results of that game--and the fact that four of the teams just above ORU in the polls lost--IUPUI should jump up to around 14 or 15. ORU shouldn't be too far below IUPUI either, since they only have six losses compared to the seven, eight or even nine losses of other teams ranked higher.

It's also worth noting ORU's RPI is relatively high, compared to all the teams surrounding them in the polls.

Again, I said SHOULD. ORU head coach Scott Sutton possesses the lone Summit League vote. I wonder what his vote will look like.

I guess we'll know later today.

oru assistant coach needs a hug.

Sources tell me one of ORU's men's basketball assistant coaches wasn't happy with the clock management in the closing moments of the ORU-IUPUI game Saturday night.

As Robert Jarvis' potentially game-winning three-point attempt missed and players fought for the rebound, the ball trickled out of bounds along the baseline as time expired. The clock went to zeros, the horn sounded and the officials blew their whistles.

Game over, right?

Well...

As the teams lined up to shake hands, ORU assistant coach Conley Phipps turned to the clock operator and tersely said, "you know you're supposed to stop the clock only on the official's whistle...did you know that?"

The tone of his remarks, sources say, would suggest Phipps thinks ORU got "homered" by an exuberant clock operator.

Independent video replay (i.e. - ME WITH MY DVR!) confirmed the ball rolled out of bounds with 0:0.8 seconds remaining on the clock.

HOWEVER... To Phipps' point about the official's whistle: the underneath official (Bill Neketis, I think) was on top of the play and blew his whistle as time expired on the clock. His whistle blew a fraction of a second before the final horn sounded. None of the officials requested a video review of the play. Referee Lamont Simpson signaled the game was over and that was that.

It's also worth noting my video review also indicates Neketis signaled possession was to IUPUI, not ORU (but then appears to point possession to ORU). While the TV replay doesn't fully show who knocked the ball out of bounds--IUPUI's Jon Avery and ORU's Marcello Vealy both scrambled for the loose ball--it appeared Vealy last touched it. I'm not saying he did, but it certainly appears he may have touched it last.

But this all conjecture. Lest we forget, the officials have the last word, Coach Phipps. It is not for the table crew to determine the outcome of the game. While your frustration at dropping a tough road game in the conference is certainly appreciated, your flip remarks to the crew was bush league.

full-tilt saturday: nothing set in stone for march madness...yet.

Men’s Hoops Wrap-up: Jags Turn Back ORU, Still Hunting for Top Seed
Full-Tilt Saturday settled plenty of drama and answers for post-season seeding in men’s basketball. The top two seeds are locked down between ORU and IUPUI while the bottom two seeds are all but determined. The middle four brackets are shaping up to be a horse race all the way to the end of the season; perhaps relying on a series of tie-breakers to determine seeding.

In the biggest showdown of the night, ORU and IUPUI went at each other like Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed. It would be unfair to call the second-place Jaguars an underdog, as both teams are poised to Dance in March Madness™. While the Golden Eagles notched a tough, one-point victory in the first salvo at Mabee Center last month, George Hill and Co. staved off a fierce ORU comeback to win 69-66, giving ORU its first conference loss of the season and narrowing the gap between first and second place to a half-game. Austin Montgomery led the Jags with 18 points. Moses Ehambe scored 19 for the Golden Eagles to lead all scorers.

The game was more of a must-win situation for IUPUI to maintain at least a #2 seed, with Oakland still within shouting distance. As Tulsa broadcast announcers said, ORU wanted to win, but IUPUI needed to win.

The Jags win coupled with IPFW’s upset victory over Oakland at Rochester clinched the top two seeds for ORU and IUPUI. David Carson’s 18 points led the Mastadons to a 71-66 victory over the Golden Grizzlies, keeping Dane Fife’s squad in contention for the #3 seed. Were it not for Ehambe’s 40-point explosion vs. Western Illinois Thursday night (and the fact that IPFW only played one conference game this week), Carson might get consideration for POTW honors. As it stands, Ehambe will probably win out over SUU’s Geoff Payne or George Hill (by default) for the simple fact he blew up for 40 points.

Saturday Scoreboard — Men’s Hoops:
IPFW @ Oakland — IPFW 71-66
North Dakota State @ Southern Utah — SUU 72-67
Oral Roberts @ IUPUI — IUPUI 69-66
Centenary @ Western Illinois — WIU 68-67
South Dakota State @ UMKC — UMKC 68-63

Men’s Standings (thru Saturday, 16 Feb 08)
1. Oral Roberts — 13-1 / 18-6
2. IUPUI — 13-2 / 21-5
3. Oakland — 8-6 / 13-12
3. IPFW — 8-6 — 11-14
5. North Dakota State — 7-8 / 13-13
5. Western Illinois — 7-8 / 12-14
7. Southern Utah — 6-8 / 8-17
8. UMKC — 4-10 / 9-18
8. Centenary — 3-11 / 9-17
10. South Dakota State — 3-12 / 8-18

Thursday Night Summit League Action:
IUPUI @ Oakland, 7:30 p.m.
Southern Utah @ Centenary, 7 p.m.
UMKC @ Oral Roberts, 7:05 p.m.
Western Illinois @ IPFW, 7 p.m.

Friday Night Summit League Action:
North Dakota State @ South Dakota State, 7 p.m.

Saturday Night Summit League Action:
IUPUI @ IPFW, 4 p.m.
UMKC @ Centenary, 5:30 p.m.
Western Illinois @ Oakland, 6 p.m.
Creighton @ Oral Roberts, TBA

On the Women’s Side…
South Dakota State is serving notice in the Summit League: there’s a new sheriff in town. At 12-2, the Jackrabbits have quickly established themselves as the team to beat. With hopes of an at-large berth to the NCAA or NIT, SDSU took UMKC behind the woodshed yesterday, 74-48. Stacie Oistad led a balanced attack with 18 points. Western Illinois maintains a scant 1-1/2 games lead over ORU for the top seed in the conference tournament by virtue of beating Centenary 67-43. The Ladies are in an absolute tailspin right now at 0-13 for the season. Stephanie Lovingood went bonkers for the Westerwinds, scoring 19 points and grabbing 14 rebounds.

But Lovingood’s efforts on the day were outdone by IUPUI’s Julia Whitted. She scored 26 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Jags to a comeback victory over ORU, 69-66. Jernisha Cann added 21 points and 17 boards in the win. Depending on Monday night’s outcome, I think we can safely say this week’s POTW will be Lovingood, Whitted or Cann.

As it stands, five teams are still jockeying for the top seed in the conference tournament: WIU, ORU, Oakland, IUPUI and IPFW. Monday night’s ORU-WIU game should provide some answers.

Saturday Scoreboard — Women’s Hoops:
IPFW @ Oakland — Oak 79-64
Oral Roberts @ IUPUI — IUPUI 69-66
Centenary @ Western Illinois — WIU 67-43
South Dakota State @ UMKC — SDSU 74-48
North Dakota State @ Southern Utah — NDSU 87-62

Women’s Standings (thru Saturday, 16 Feb 08)
1. South Dakota State — 12-2 / 19-6
2. Western Illinois — 10-4 / 12-13
3. North Dakota State — 9-5 / 14-10
4. Oral Roberts — 8-5 / 14-10
5. Oakland — 8-6 / 15-9
5. IUPUI — 8-6 / 12-14
7. IPFW — 7-7 / 10-15
8. Southern Utah — 4-9 / 6-18
9. UMKC — 2-11 / 9-15
10. Centenary — 0-13 / 3-20

Monday Night Summit League Action:
North Dakota State @ UMKC, 7 p.m.
Centenary @ IUPUI, 7 p.m.
South Dakota State @ Southern Utah, 7 p.m.
Oral Roberts @ Western Illinois, 7 p.m.

Saturday Night Summit League Action:
Western Illinois @ IPFW, 1 p.m.
UMKC @ Oral Roberts, 2:05 p.m.
IUPUI @ Oakland, 3:30 p.m.
Southern Utah @ Centenary, 3 p.m.
North Dakota State @ South Dakota State, 7 p.m.

oral roberts, iupui....collision course.

It's a full slate of action tonight in the Summit League. Ten schools, five double-headers:
* IPFW @ Oakland
* Oral Roberts @ IUPUI
* Centenary @ Western Illinois
* South Dakota State @ UMKC
* North Dakota State @ Southern Utah

I know the League office is calling the SDSU-UMKC its Game of the Week, but we all know where the real Game of the Week is: THE JUNGLE!

ORU and IUPUI are the top two teams in men's hoops. Truth be told, the game means a whole lot more to the Jaguars than to ORU. At this point, the Golden Eagles are already assured of nothing less than a #2 seed in the conference tournament. IUPUI, at this point, still needs two wins to get at least a #2...and they've got to go to third-place Oakland after today. The Golden Grizzlies' toughest part of their schedule is in the rearview mirror (IUPUI game notwithstanding). If they run the table, they could force a tie for the second seed.

That, of course, begs teh question: who will be looser tonight? ORU has nothing to lose, really. IUPUI could slip from a #2 to a #3. Of course, if they win tonight, they'll be breathing down ORU's neck for the top seed. However, I don't really see the Golden Eagles relinquishing the #1, no matter what happens tonight.

We'll know soon enough.

Men's standings.
1. Oral Roberts: 13-0 / 18-5
2. IUPUI: 12-2 / 20-5
3. Oakland: 8-5 / 13-11
4. IPFW: 7-6 / 10-14
5. North Dakota State: 7-7 / 13-12
6. Western Illinois: 6-8 / 11-14
7. Southern Utah: 5-8 / 7-17
8. Centenary: 3-10 / 9-16
8. UMKC: 3-10 8-18
10. South Dakota State: 3-11 / 8-17

Women's standings.
1. South Dakota State: 11-2 / 18-6
2. Western Illinois: 9-4 / 11-13
3. Oral Roberts: 8-4 / 14-9
4. North Dakota State: 8-5 / 13-10
5. Oakland: 7-6 / 14-9
5. IUPUI: 7-6 / 11-14
5. IPFW: 7-6 / 10-14
8. Southern Utah: 4-8 / 6-17
9. UMKC: 2-10 / 9-14
10. Centenary: 0-12 / 3-19

viva las vegas.

I must be nuts. And gullible. I was talking to someone at one of the Summit League schools this week who planted the seed that the tournament should be held in Las Vegas. Said person threw this notion at me because it's public knowledge around the program that I'm relocating there in a few months (if things fall into place). I'm not sure if my obsessive nature about wild-hair ideas is also public knowledge, but thanks to a flip comment about Sin City hosting the Summit League Basketball Championships has got my wheels turning.

In the interest of full disclosure, I know nothing--NOTHING--about staging such an event much less producing a bid for it. But now, I'm doing some pithy research into it.

The casual observer may argue it's foolish for numerous reasons:
* No Summit League schools are even located in Las Vegas (the nearest is Southern Utah University).
* Las Vegas is a huge tourist town...the Summit League would get lost among the lights.
* It would be a 'dangerous' location to send all your student-athletes who may become tempted by the surroundings.

Valid points, but each is refutable.
* For starters, the league already has precedence for hosting the tournament in a non-Summit League town (Ft. Wayne).
* The thought that Vegas would deter fans is backwards. There's lots of downtime at a tournament. It would be a great vacation package for all those cold-weather Summit League fans.
* College kids face distractions every day. And those hotels and casinos on The Strip don't want their business. They want your business, Mr. and Ms. Grown-up!

It's an idea that's worth examining, I think, because the League traditionally loses money on the tournament. Tulsa has been a fortuitous host city for the obvious reason: Oral Roberts University fans. While Vegas presents no definitive home court, I think more fans would be apt to make the trip to Vegas instead of, say, Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Perhaps I'm just having a Walter Mitty moment about this, but it never hurts to ask questions. Sometimes, people even listen to crazy ideas.

t-birds' dax crum to appear on espn today.

From Southern Utah's Athletics Web site:


Dax Crum to Appear On ESPN2’s First Take

CEDAR CITY, Utah, Feb. 11 – Southern Utah University basketball player Dax Crum, who is a scholarship Division I athlete despite being born without a right hand, will appear live on ESPN First Take Tuesday morning.

The program runs daily on ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD from 8-10 a.m. (Mountain). Crum's segment is scheduled to air at approximately 9:40 a.m.

First Ron Hunter, now Dax Crum. The Summit League is getting some good PR of late. I have to admit...I didn't even pay any attention to Crum when I saw him play a couple weeks ago. He came in toward the end of the IUPUI game at Indy on 31 Jan (The Jags won 88-66). He took a three-point shot later in the second half. I turned to the SID and said, "boy, he's got a weird release!"

"That's because he's missing a hand," retorted the SID, in an are you an idiot?? tone. Obviously, I am. I didn't even pay any attention to that. To Crum's credit, he scored five points in that game.

women's hoops monday night roundup.

It's really too bad South Dakota State won't be eligible for this year's championship tournament...well, unless you're everybody else. The Jackrabbits won their seventh in a row tonight, pounding IUPUI 68-44. SDSU's Ketty Cornemann and Kristy Rotert combined for 36 points—eight less than the entire Jaguars team.

Western Illinois lost its second in a row, getting blown out by North Dakota State, 62-43.

Monday night wrap-up:
Western Illinois-42, North Dakota State-63
IPFW-74, Centenary-47
Oakland-66, Oral Roberts-73
IUPUI-44, South Dakota State-68

With that, things are tightening up for March Madness. But it didn't change the seedings one bit.

Excluding the Dakota teams, five teams are within two games of one another for the top seeds in the conference tournament, and it's a full slate of action this Saturday. The Dakotas are taking on the bottom teams in the conference (UMKC, SUU) and Western hosting Centenary, that leaves two games with post-season implications: IPFW at Oakland and ORU at IUPUI. Those are the games of the week.

Saturday games scheduled:
IPFW @ Oakland, 3:30 p.m.
Oral Roberts @ IUPUI, 4:30 p.m.
Centenary @ Western Illinois, 4:30 p.m.
South Dakota State @ UMKC, 4 p.m.
North Dakota State @ Southern Utah, 5 p.m.

The latest standings:
1. South Dakota State 11-2/18-6
2. Western Illinois 9-4/11-13
3. Oral Roberts 8-4/14-9
4. North Dakota State 8-5/13-10
5. Oakland 7-6/14-9
5. IUPUI 7-6/11-14
5. IPFW 7-6/10-14
8. Southern Utah 4-8/6-17
9. UMKC 2-10/9-14
10. Centenary 0-12/3-19

mid-major top 25: oru on the move; iupui holds steady.

I stand corrected. Only Oral Roberts moved up in the Mid-Major Top 25 today. IUPUI held steady at 21. The Golden Eagles and Jags will have a chance to settle things on the court this week as they square off at IUPUI Saturday night. No doubt that will be the Game of the Week for the Summit League.

Before that, both teams have business to tend to Thursday night. IUPUI takes on Centenary at home while ORU is on the road at Western Illinois. The Jags have an opportunity to avenge their only conference losses of the season this week. Both teams should come into Saturday night's game ready for battle. It's always a big game in the Jungle when ORU comes to town.

Current Mid-Major Top 25:
1. Butler (20) (21-2)
2. Drake (11) (22-1)
3. St. Mary's (20-3)
4. Davidson (17-6)
5. Gonzaga (18-6)
6. VCU (18-5)
7. South Alabama (20-4)
8. Western Kentucky (19-5)
9. Kent State (19-5)
10. George Mason (17-7)
11. Stephen F. Austin (19-3)
12. Sam Houston State (18-4)
13. Akron (17-6)
14. UNC-Asheville (18-5)
15. Ohio (16-7)
16. Pacific (17-6)
17. Creighton (17-6)
18. Cal State Northridge (16-6)
19. Oral Roberts (17-5)
20. UC Santa Barbara (17-6)
21. IUPUI (19-5)
22. Illinois State (17-7)
23. Morgan State (14-8)
24. Rider (18-7)
25. Wright State (17-6)

mid-major top 25: golden eagles, jags should move up.

The men's Mid-Major Top 25 hasn't been released yet today, but I predict ORU and IUPUI to move up a notch or two. The Golden Eagles were #20 while the Jags were #21.

Cal State Northridge and Illinois State were ranked just ahead of the two Summit League teams (as well as Creighton) and both lost last week.

Valparaiso, by the way, is not ranked in the Mid-Major Top 25.

Stay Tuned.

george hill earns fourth potw honor.

Well, here's the least-shocking news of the day:

IUPUI’s Hill Named Player of the Week

Hill earns Player of the Week honors for the fourth time this season after averaging 28.5 points on 65 percent shooting, 5.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists in a pair of wins last week.

The junior opened the week with 23 points, including 19 in the second half, to go with five rebounds and four assists vs. South Dakota State. He followed that up with 33 points, one shy of his career high, seven assists and six rebounds in a come-from-behind win at North Dakota State.

Hill, who made a career-high 14 free throws in the victory, assisted John Ashworth on the game-winning three-pointer as the Jaguars closed the game on a 14-0 run. IUPUI has now won six in a row and sits in second place in The Summit League standings.

Also nominated: Tim Blackwell, UMKC; Brett Winkelman, North Dakota State; Johnathon Jones, Oakland; Geoff Payne, Southern Utah.

I can't see anyone coming close to Hill in Player-of-the-Year honors.


Previous winners:
Feb. 4 - Gary Patterson, IUPUI
Jan. 28 - George Hill, IUPUI, and Robert Jarvis, Oral Roberts
Jan. 21 - Jaraun Burrows, IPFW
Jan. 14 - Shawn King, Oral Roberts
Jan. 7 - George Hill, IUPUI
Jan. 2 - Tate Sorensen, Southern Utah
Dec. 26 - Derick Nelson, Oakland
Dec. 17 - Brett Winkelman, North Dakota State
Dec. 10 - Demetrius Johnson, IPFW
Dec. 3 - George Hill, IUPUI
Nov. 26 - Ben Woodside, North Dakota State
Nov. 19 - Nick Stallings, Centenary
Nov. 12 - Jeremiah Hartsock, UMKC

women's hoops: no clarity for the top five seeds...yet.

As the regular season winds down, five teams are still within shouting distance of one another, competing for the top seeds in the conference tournament. South Dakota State claimed sole possession of first place, pounding Western Illinois 85-60 back into second place. The Jackrabbits hit 14 three pointers en route to victory.

Led by Mariana Camargo's 21 points, Oral Roberts defeated IPFW 88-71 to reclaim third place in the conference. By virtue of losing to North Dakota State 65-60, IUPUI dropped into a three-way tie for fourth place with the Bison and Golden Grizzlies, who defeated Centenary 72-55. The Ladies have yet to win a conference game this season.

Rounding out the games, Southern Utah edged UMKC 51-49.

Monday night basketball:
Western Illinois @ North Dakota State, 7 p.m.
IPFW @ Centenary, 7 p.m.
Oakland @ Oral Roberts, 7:05 p.m.
IUPUI @ South Dakota State, 7 p.m.

Monday night action between OU and ORU might clear up the picture for #2 seed in the tourney, but there's simply too much basketball left to be played before Tulsapalooza. If IUPUI can upset the top team and best conference road team—South Dakota State—the Jags are probably staring at a #3 at best.

The latest standings:
1. South Dakota State—10-2/17-6
2. Western Illinois—9-3/11-12
3. Oral Roberts—7-4/13-9
4. Oakland—7-5/14-8
4. North Dakota State—7-5/12-10
4. IUPUI—7-5/11-13
7. IPFW—6-6/9-14
8. Southern Utah—4-8/6-17
9. UMKC—2-10/9-14
10. Centenary—0-11/3-18

men's hoops saturday round-up: jaguars 2, dakotas 0....and oru 12, the rest 0.

Despite North Dakota State's best efforts tonight, the Summit League men's conference remains The Big Two and little eight. Oral Roberts University and IUPUI continue on a collision course that may not be settled until the conference championship. The Golden Eagles made easy work of IPFW tonight, winning 88-56. Moses Ehambe led all scorers with 21 points to end IPFW's one and only road winning streak at one for the season.

While road losses mount for the Mastadons, they've got one last legitimate shot at the #3 seed when they host Oakland next Saturday.

North Dakota State had IUPUI right where they wanted them, leading by 12 with about 5-1/2 remaining in the game. And then the Jags closed out the game with a 14-0 run, winning 69-67, thanks to a John Ashworth three pointer. While Ashworth provided the heroics, George Hill made his case for POTW by scoring 33 points.

Oakland took sole possession of third place, defeating Centenary 97-61 in Shreveport. It was the worst Gold Dome loss in school history for the Gents. Ouch. Derick Nelson scored 22 points to lead the Golden Grizzlies.

Rounding out Saturday action, Southern Utah defeated UMKC 78-73 and South Dakota State topped Western Illinois, 81-75 in the Pork (???) Classic. Seriously...pork???

The latest standings:
1. Oral Roberts—12-0/17-5
2. IUPUI—11-2/19-5
3. Oakland—8-5/13-11
4. IPFW—7-6/10-14
5. North Dakota State—6-7/12-12
5. Western Illinois—6-7/11-13
7. Southern Utah—4-8/6-17
8. Centenary—3-9/9-15
8. UMKC—3-9/8-17
10. South Dakota State—3-10/8-16

Thursday's game:
Oral Roberts @ Western Illinois, 7 p.m.
South Dakota State @ Southern Utah, 7 p.m.
Centenary @ IUPUI, 7 p.m.
North Dakota State @ UMKC, 7:05 p.m.

grizz, 'dons & 'necks still gunning for #3 seed.

Wow! Did Western Illinois lay an egg in my master plan of a three-way tie for third place! They went to North Dakota State and got a beatdown, 86-62. Brett Winkelman led all scorers with 21 and Ben Woodside added 20. What was the big difference? Western Illinois couldn't throw it in the ocean. They hit just 29.8% from the field. That ain't gonna get it done.

So here are the scores from Thursday night:
IUPUI - 70, South Dakota State - 56
IPFW - 65, Centenary - 44
Western Illinois - 62, North Dakota State - 86
Oakland - 53, Oral Roberts - 60

Oral Roberts handled Oakland 60-53 to stay undefeated in the conference while the Golden Grizzlies are now in a bit of a fight for the #3 seed. But the big story tonight is IPFW who won their first road game OF THE SEASON! George Hill dropped 23 for the Jags, leading a group of four double-digit scorers.

Heading into Saturday's games, the top six seeds are getting awfully bunched up.
Current standings:
1. Oral Roberts 11-0/16-5—W11
2. IUPUI 10-2/18-5—W5
3. Oakland 7-5/12-11—L1
3. IPFW 7-5/10-13—W3
5. Western Illinois 6-6/11-12—L1
5. North Dakota State 6-6/12-11—W1
7. Centenary 3-8/9-14—L4
7. UMKC 3-8/8-16—L2
7. Southern Utah 3-8/5-17—L3
10. South Dakota State 2-10/7-16—L4

Saturday's games:
IPFW @ Oral Roberts - 7:05 p.m
Western Illinois @ South Dakota State - 7:30 p.m.
IUPUI @ North Dakota State - 7 p.m.
UMKC @ Southern Utah - 7:30 p.m.

Since Oakland is idle, I'm going to call the IPFW-ORU game the Game of the Week. Why? Because if the Mastadons do the impossible and win, they stand alone in third place.

men's hoops: no room for error this thursday.

Until next weekend's showdown between league-leading Oral Roberts and pre-season favorite IUPUI, it's shaping up to be a relatively quiet Thursday is on tap in Summit League men's hoops; mostly teams jockeying for position in the middle of the pack.

Coming up Thursday:
* IUPUI @ South Dakota State - 7 p.m.
* IPFW @ Centenary - 7 p.m.
* Western Illinois @ North Dakota State - 7 p.m.
* Oakland @ Oral Roberts - 7:05 p.m.

We don't want to play favorites here, but IUPUI should win on the road while the Golden Eagles are heavily favored to beat the Golden Grizzlies (does the winner take the gold in this one?). Having said that, I'm going to call the ORU-Oakland game the Summit League Game of the Week.

It could get really interesting down the stretch for OU if they stumble. If Oakland loses and Western and IPFW win, we'll have a three-way tie for third place. Two losses and they're staring up from a #6 seed.

I guess we have to wait and see.

Of course, IUPUI has no room for error on their road trip to the Dakotas. After losing to ORU and Centenary on the road last month, they need at least a split this weekend.

Current standings:
1. Oral Roberts 10-0/15-5—W8
2. IUPUI 9-2/17-5—W4
3. Oakland 7-4/12-10—W3
4. Western Illinois 6-5/11-11—W2
5. IPFW 6-5/9-13—W2
6. North Dakota State 5-6/11-11—L2
7. Centenary 3-7/9-13—L3
8. UMKC 3-8/8-16—L2
9. Southern Utah 3-8/5-17—L3
10. South Dakota State 2-9/7-15—L3

rabbit punched. south dakota st. beats ipfw in ot; maintains first place.

The four-way tie for third place on the women's side was broken last night by a pair of road wins for the Dakota schools. By virtue of IUPUI's home victory over Southern Utah, the Jags currently sit all alone in third place. Oral Roberts was idle last night, trailing IUPUI by a half game.

Monday Results
Southern Utah – 46 @ IUPUI – 71
North Dakota State – 58 @ Oakland – 54
South Dakota State – 74 @ IPFW – 72 (OT)
UMKC – 46 @ Western Illinois – 56


That latest standings:
1. South Dakota State 9-2/16-6
1. Western Illinois 9-2/11-11
3. IUPUI 7-4/11-12
4. Oral Roberts 6-4/12-9
5. Oakland 6-5/13-8
5. North Dakota State 6-5/11-10
5. IPFW 6-5/9-13
8. Southern Utah 3-8 5-17
9. UMKC 2-9/9-13
10. Centenary 0-10/3-17

Saturday's games:
IPFW @ Oral Roberts — 2:05 p.m.
IUPUI @ North Dakota State — 2 p.m.
Oakland @ Centenary — 3 p.m.
Western Illinois @ South Dakota State — 5 p.m.
Oakland @ Centenary — 5:30 p.m.
UMKC @ Southern Utah — 5 p.m.

It's almost too difficult to pick just one featured game this weekend, since all but one has post-season implications. But the Game of the Week is going to be Western at South Dakota State. Despite SDSU being ineligible for the tournament, this is the battle for first place. Everything else falls behind that game.

latest summit league standings.

The latest standings in both men's and women's hoops.

Men’s Basketball
1. Oral Roberts 10-0/15-5—W8
2. IUPUI 9-2/17-5—W4
3. Oakland 7-4/12-10—W3
4. Western Illinois 6-5/11-11—W2
5. IPFW 6-5/9-13—W2
6. North Dakota State 5-6/11-11—L2
7. Centenary 3-7/9-13—L3
8. UMKC 3-8/8-16—L2
9. Southern Utah 3-8/5-17—L3
10. South Dakota State 2-9/7-15—L3

Women's Basketball
1. South Dakota State 8-2/15-6—W4
2. Western Illinois 8-2/10-11—W1
3. Oakland 6-4/13-7—L2
3. Oral Roberts 6-4/12-9—W2
3. IUPUI 6-4/10-12—W2
3. IPFW 6-4/9-12—L1
7. North Dakota State 5-5/10-10—W1
8. Southern Utah 3-7/5-16—L1
9. UMKC 2-8/9-12—L2
10. Centenary 0-10/3-17—L8

no road dogs (or: how i learned to stop worrying and love the three-ball).

The road teams last night were roadkill in the Summit League as all the home teams prevailed, causing some minor shifting in the standings.

The scores:
* North Dakota State 74, Oakland 77
* UMKC 62, Western Illinois 77
* South Dakota State 63, IPFW 73
* Southern Utah 66, IUPUI 88

Nowhere was that more evident than Indianapolis, where Jags guard Gary Patterson made a statement for Player of the Week. He was unconscious from beyond the arc, finishing with 37 points on 11 three-pointers to lead IUPUI to an 88-66 win over Southern Utah.

Speaking of three-pointers...over in Rochester, Erik Kangas of Oakland hit a clutch three-pointer to stave off North Dakota State, 77-74, and move the Grizzlies up to third place. The Grizzlies overcame an early 14-point deficit to defeat the Bison.

Western Illinois and IPFW staged home wins to basically keep pace with one another for the #4 seed in the tournament. The Leathernecks used balanced scoring--five players with double-digit points--to put away the 'Roos. DeWitt Scott of the Mastadons dropped 25 points to lead all scorers in the win over SDSU.

In looking at this weekend's games, conventional wisdom would suggest nothing will happen to cause any major shifts in the standings. But don't tell that to the underdogs. Saturday's games:
* South Dakota State @ Oakland
* Centenary @ Oral Roberts
* UMKC @ IUPUI
* Southern Utah @ Western Illinois

Current Standings
1. Oral Roberts – 9-0, 14-5
2. IUPUI – 8-2, 16-5
3. Oakland – 6-4, 11-10
4. North Dakota State – 5-5, 11-10
4. Western Illinois – 5-5, 10-11
4. IPFW – 5-5, 8-13
7. Centenary – 3-6, 9-12
8. UMKC – 3-7, 8-15
8. Southern Utah – 3-7, 5-16
10. South Dakota State – 2-8, 7-14